[Review] Good Boy (2025) | What Happens To The Dog?

[Review] Good Boy (2025) | Indie Horror Film | What Happens To The Dog?

Good Boy 2025 Dog Indie Horror Film Poster

Good Boy (2025) is an indie horror film directed by Ben Leonberg. Written by Leonberg and Alex Cannon, the film is produced by Kari Fischer & Ben Leonberg, with cinematography by Wade Grebnoel, editing by Curtis Roberts, music by Sam Boase-Miller, and starring, Indy as himself, Shane Jensen as Todd, Arielle Friedman as Vera, Todd’s sister, Larry Fessenden as Todd’s grandfather, Stuart Rudin as Richard, Todd’s grandfather’s neighbor, Hunter Goetz as Weatherman/Narrator, Anya Krawcheck as Doctor

& Max as Bandit, Todd’s grandfather’s dog.

Good Boy has been making quite the buzz across film festivals, and with good reason. After all, this film does star the cutest ever horror film protagonist, who also happens to be the director’s own dog. But, does the film live up to the hype?

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Good Boy (2025) Synopsis:

Trust his instincts.

A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner Todd, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most.

Good Boy (2025) Review:

I have been waiting to watch this one ever since I saw that one Reddit post talking about it. As a dog lover and a dog parent, this really piqued my interest. After all, what’s more daunting than seeing a human in a distressing paranormal situation? A dog in that same situation.

Yes, I had my concerns about whether or not the film will be difficult to watch, because I would hate for my dog to be in the same kind of haunted setting. But, I braved that side of me, and decided to dive in. Did the film live up to the hype?

Indy – The Daniel Day Lewis of Dogs

Indy as himself

I read at least 4 Letterboxd reviews referring to Indy as the Daniel Day Lewis of dogs. And honestly… that is an accurate descriptor. If you have a dog, or have taken care of a dog, you’ll be aware of how dogs behave when not playing or engaging with you. Those tiny mannerisms, the way their ears twitch and their posture changes when alert. Good Boy nails every single one of them.

If you read about the film, you’ll know that the film was shot over 400 days. Which, if you think about it, is telling of how much effort the filmmakers went through to get an accurate performance from Indy. Of course, Indy is a dog, and you can’t just tell him what to do. You need to create a safe environment where you can evoke those reactions naturally, all while fitting into the requirement of the shot. And the film does this beautifully.

The film is entirely shot from a low angle, simulating the dog’s perspective. Except for the grandfather, we don’t see anyone’s faces clearly, thereby making Indy our only character with a face. We follow Indy as he watches his owner, Todd, with concern as his health slowly deteriorates over the course of the film. Indy doesn’t understand anything, but he knows something is wrong. And not just with Todd, but also the haunted rural home that they move into.

Indy’s reactions to everything—from the curious observations, to anxious barking, to panicked scrambling to save Todd—feel real and organic, making the film’s horror elements impact you much harder. As a dog lover, this was the most stressed I have felt watching a horror film. As someone who has spent time training his dog, I am in awe of how the filmmakers pulled this off.

Good Boy was an absolutely intriguing experience that had me hooked for all 72 minutes of its runtime.

Doesn’t Reinvent the Wheel

Indy the Dog

Okay, that last paragraph was all about the dog. But what of the horror? Is it a good horror movie?

Honestly, yes. But, it is also a very generic supernatural horror film, in the sense that the haunting, the entity, and the real meaning underneath… they’re all pretty run-of-the-mill. If the ‘dog gimmick’ doesn’t appeal to you, there’s not much else that the film will offer to keep you hooked.

That being said, it’s nowhere close to a bad film. Good Boy does everything right, from setting up the main characters (Indy & Todd), to building tension with paranormal happenings. Even the emotional core of Indy’s protective instincts, the film builds on constantly as Todd slowly succumbs to his unnamed illness in the background. The lightning and colour of the film mirror the cold, deteriorating setting. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the colours seem to be—for the most part—within the spectrum of what dogs can see.

Technically speaking, this is a brilliant film. Even as a horror film, it delivers exactly what it promises: a gripping narrative full of creepy, horror atmosphere, and an emotional core that ties it all together brilliantly. Add to that the fact that this film is entirely told from the dog’s perspective, and that makes for a uniquely haunting experience.

Good Boy (2025) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

Indy the dog waiting for Todd

Todd’s illness gets worse. He tries to sign up for an experimental treatment, but his illness has progressed too far for him to be eligible. Finally one night, Todd locks Indy out of the house for misbehaving (he broke out of the house and ended up caught in a fox-trap).

That same night, Indy observes paranormal entities around the house, just as Todd is coughing up blood. Indy breaks free of his chain, but can’t open the door. He sees that the cellar’s door is open, and rushes through, managing to find Todd and drag him away from the entity. Indy brings him down to the cellar, but the entity still manages to grab Todd.

Todd, seeing his own corpse, realises that his time has come. He tells Indy that he’s a good boy, and accepts his fate. Covered in muck and grime, now Todd himself resembles the entity that’s been haunting the house.

The next day, Vera comes to the house to find Todd dead. She finds Indy in the cellar, sitting by Todd. She calls out to him, and after some hesitation, Indy runs up. The credits roll, with footage of Indy at an undisclosed time, peacefully looking out of the car window as they drive somewhere.

If you remove the paranormal/monster entity from a horror film, you can tell what the film is really about. And from that perspective, it becomes clear that the film is about Todd’s gradually worsening health and his coming to terms with his end. From the dog’s perspective—who doesn’t understand medical science or mortality—it makes sense why everything seems so confusing and horrific. The poor pup had no idea what was happening; he just wanted to keep his owner safe.

Does the dog die in the end? Good Boy (2025)

No. The events of the film can be a little distressing to watch, especially if you’re a dog lover/dog parent. And the emotional pain of losing your owner can be devastating for a dog. But, no, the dog does not die.

I’d like to believe that Vera was as much of a caring parent to Indy as Todd, and Indy eventually warmed up to her and continued to live the rest of his life happily.

Also, if the filmmaker is even half as doting on his dog (Indy) as I am on my dog, I’m sure they took all precautions to make sure Indy was healthy, safe, and secure throughout production. After all, they took 400+ days to shoot this film, which indicates they were extra careful, keeping Indy’s needs in mind.

Is Good Boy (2025) worth watching?

Honestly, it depends. Objectively speaking, it’s just another supernatural horror film that doesn’t really break any moulds.

As a dog parent and a filmmaker, watching this film was quite the experience. I could imagine the dog’s dread in the situation, as well as the behind-the-scenes shenanigans they had to pull off to get Indy to perform.

The horror might be a little too daunting for some dog lovers, while others might find it just another run-of-the-mill film. But, if you’re going in to admire Indy’s performance, you’re definitely in for a treat. They don’t call him the Daniel Day Lewis of dogs for nothing.

In Conclusion:

Good Boy (2025) is quite an interesting film. Without reinventing the wheel, it portrays a very believable supernatural experience from the perspective of a dog.

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